Bangalore tops the list of metros in the country with the highest number of women suffering from cancer and breast cancer continues to be the killer, according to the Population Based Cancer Registry (PBCR).
According to the latest PBCR data, 139 new cases are being detected each year for every one lakh women in the city. New Delhi and Chennai are in second and third places with cancer incidences of 121.2 and 121.1 for every one lakh women.
The statistics also pointed out that breast cancer is diagnosed among 36 women for every one lakh women in Bangalore. However, the incidence of cervical cancer is almost half of this in the city. For every one lakh women, 19 are diagnosed with the disease.
Explaining this phenomenon, Consultant Oncologist Dr Govind Babu said poor hygiene cause cervical cancer more among rural women. “Dietary patterns and sedentary lifestyles lead to high incidence of breast cancer in the city. Body fat is a high predisposing factor for many types of cancers. Late marriage and inadequate breastfeeding add to the risk,” he said.
However, preventive care is far from the purview of women, doctors said.
Women with a family history of breast cancer have to exercise caution and carry out Breast Self-Examinations (BSE) as soon as they cross the age of 25 years. Others can also keep a tab on food habits and weight. “If breast cancer is diagnosed in the first stage, the chances of curing it is around 80-90 per cent,” Dr Babu said.
On account of World Cancer Day, the State government will hold cancer screening camps in Kolar, Tumkur, Chikmagalur and Shimoga districts. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is conducting the camps under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS).
Director of the Department of Health and Family Welfare Dhanyakumar said, “The intention is to create awareness among rural population about cervical, breast cancer among women and oral cancer among men.” The department also signed a MoU with Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology and Malnad Institute of Oncology to carry out the camps, he said.